To present a 3D image to a viewer, slightly different images may be directed to a viewer's right and left eyes, respectively. The differences between an image presented to the viewer's right eye (right image) and an image presented to the viewer's left eye may cause the viewer to perceive depth in a displayed image such that the image appears substantially as a 3D image to the viewer. Stereoscopic or auto-stereoscopic techniques may be used to present 3D images to a viewer.
According to stereoscopic techniques, a viewer may wear specialized glasses that cause right and left images of a 3D image to be directed to the viewer's respective right and left eyes. According to auto-stereoscopic techniques, the display itself may be configured to cause right and left images of a 3D image to be directed to the viewer's respective right and left eyes, such that specialized glasses are not needed.
According to one example of an auto-stereoscopic technique, a display includes a plurality of parallax barriers at a screen of the display that cause right and left images to be directed to a viewer's respective right and left eyes, so long as the viewer is within a certain distance from the display. In some examples, such a plurality of parallax barriers may be active parallax barriers that may be activated or deactivated, depending on whether display of a 2D image or a 3D image is desired.